9 Strangest Film Casting Choices (That Actually Worked)

Some actors are so synonymous with a genre that seeing them attempt anything outside that specific realm of cinema can be jarring. And it's true to say that by the mid 90s Jim Carrey was starting to become typecast as a designated funny man. His entire career had been built on this persona, beginning as a standout comedian on In Living Color and making himself a household name with hits like Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Even when he tried to be a serious actor, he was only allowed to do so in dark comedies like The Cable Guy or campy romps like Batman Forever.

That's why it was such a shock for audiences to see him in The Truman Show, a mind-bending drama about a man who discovers his entire life has been fabricated for a reality show. The movie was played almost entirely straight and Carrey's earnest performance led The Truman Show to critical acclaim, and for his own career, a second wind. He would further express his range in Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and The Number 23 among others.